Become a Patrol Supporter

Qualifying as a Patrol Supporter

 

The Patrol Support certifies that the holder has the basic skills and knowledge to be a Patrol Support Member. Patrol Support is considered to be an extension to the minimum number of lifeguards required on patrol, as stated in the Patrol Operations Manual.

Patrol Support Members must not take part in any water based activities on patrol, such as rescues or preventative actions. These are for surf lifeguards only.

Course Information

Pre requistes 14 years of age | Current member of a SLS club
Duration Variable depending on competence and instruction structure 2-8 weeks
Delivered by Surf Life Saving club instructors, examined by local examiners
Who should complete it Anyone interested in becoming a Patrol Support member, any member who is unable to complete the water based requirements of the Surf Lifeguard Award.
Candidate requirements The Patrol Support member must pass the entire theoretical component of the Surf Lifeguard Award.
Exam components Theory Paper 80% correct
First Aid
Radio Operations
CPR
Signals

Topics covered

1. Introduction and risk management 2. The physical environment
3. CPR 4. First Aid
5. Roles and responsibilities 6. Communication


Outcomes

 

At the completion of the qualification candidates will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of health and safety issues relevant to Surf Life Saving members
  2. Describe the features of the surf environment
  3. Identify and describe the roles and responsibilities of a Patrol Support Member
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of effective communication
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of effective scanning techniques and victim identification
  6. Demonstrate Surf Life Saving signal communication and demonstrate knowledge of graphic communication
  7. Communicate using a two-way radio
  8. Provide resuscitation (no unit standards)
  9. Provide first aid (no unit standards)

While the patrol support member may take on leadership roles in the club, this does not extend to the postion of Patrol Captain.

Refreshers: for the purpose of a current Surf Lifeguard who for whatever reason is not able to complete the physical requirements of the annual Surf Lifeguard Refresher, they can transfer their award classification from the Surf Lifeguard Award (refresher) to the Patrol Support (refresher) via SLSNZ.

Reporting: Patrol Support members names can be added to the Patrol Captains form, however it must clearly show they are “Patrol Support”

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